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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30056529">Phanes Interlude</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaakkola/pseuds/Jaakkola'>Jaakkola</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Young Men Dead [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Advice, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dogs, Gen, Past Lives, Past Relationship(s), Presumed Dead, Secret Identity, Secrets</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:42:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,340</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30056529</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaakkola/pseuds/Jaakkola</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fifteen years ago, Stormwind was laid to waste, both it and its citizens left to rot.</p><p>Tonight, Shaw is seeking advice from an old contact.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Young Men Dead [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Phanes Interlude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This au is basically just an outlet for me taking all the characters I think have interesting things to bring to a dynamic and smashing them together. Got some weird shit planned but I also got it couched in plot that is, at the very least, as good as wow's story.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So,” Shaw said, almost conversationally. “Care to explain that little trick to me?”</p><p>The two were on foot through the dense forests of northern Lordaeron, thick grey clouds looming dangerously overhead, Anduin’s horse and Shaw’s new horse stabled in a nearby town. They were heading to… somewhere a friend of Shaw’s would be. He hadn’t really elaborated past that and Anduin hadn’t pressed any farther with it since then. In fact, Anduin had put most of the recent trip out of his mind until now. “I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Anduin said, even though he was sure the lie was horrible.</p><p>“What you did to convince a man to drive his sword in his companion is what I’m referring to,” Shaw said, conversational tone gone as his voice pitched low.</p><p>In opposition, Anduin kept his tone disinterested, almost aloof. “That?”</p><p>“Yes, <em>that.” </em>Shaw was now a half-step ahead, using the slight advantage in distance to turn and look at Anduin. “Where’d you learn that?”</p><p>That was what he was hung up on? “Where do you think? Where I learned everything else.”</p><p>Shaw had fully turned around to face Anduin now, the man walking backwards to do so. It must have been a sixth sense Shaw had to avoid any stray rock or tree root in his path, as he could do so without even looking down or facing forward. “I find it hard to believe that the men of the cloth in the local chapels are teaching you how to dominate minds.”</p><p>“Perhaps you should sit in on a lesson sometime then, Shaw,” Anduin challenged. “It’s not just prayers and healing, you know.”</p><p>Shaw’s expression shifted into one of concern. “It’s not Light abiding, though, is it?”</p><p>“Not everything in a priest’s arsenal is, you know that.”</p><p>“I do, but I feel that a word of power used to inflict pain and dominating another’s mind are on different ends of the spectrum, if that’s not too ridiculous of me to say.”</p><p>“Limiting myself in defenses seems like something you would disapprove of, would it not?”</p><p>Shaw stepped over a large, gnarled root without even a first glance, much less a second, as the concern across his face deepened. “Your father thought a similar thing.”</p><p>The comparison made Anduin’s face burn hot with embarrassment, and he tore his gaze away from Shaw at that. “I’m not—” he started, stopping before getting too far. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “It’s a last resort. I’ve known of it for a while, and that was the first time I’ve done it. I— I don’t like doing it.”</p><p>“I believe you,” Shaw said, and it sounded genuine. “But you should understand how that looks.”</p><p>It was silent at length; Shaw being fine in uncomfortable silence while Anduin didn’t want to speak anymore on the topic at hand anymore. They just walked through the forest—Shaw eventually turning back around to lead the way through—their careful steps joining the building crescendo of birds squawking in warning and thunder rumbling in the distance.</p><p>And then the sound of something else, something tearing through the forest, reached their ears. “What’s—” Anduin began.</p><p>“Dogs,” was Shaw’s immediate answer. Sure enough, a swath of brown fur came bounding out from the overgrowth, barking in alert towards them. Then another from the opposite direction, only a moment behind its kin. Anduin raised a hand, a warm light embracing it, and Shaw’s warning came just as quick as the dogs. “Don’t.”</p><p>Anduin let the Light within him fall through, like sand sifting through fingers, and looked over with confusion. Shaw himself hadn’t taken his daggers from their sheathes, instead opting to keep his palms open and towards the ground in as much as a non-threatening way he could. Anduin mimicked him and desperately hoped Shaw knew what he was doing as another dog raced out, effectively encircling the two.</p><p>“You must have a good reason to be walking through this part of the forest,” a man called out to them. Anduin looked over, watching a man crest a hill not far off. He’s dressed in mail, colored in such a way that it melded with the forest. He had a bow in hand, an arrow nocked but not yet pointed in their direction.</p><p>“Is this how people in Lordaeron greet old friends?” Shaw asked.</p><p>The man seemed surprised by that and straightened. “Take your hood off,” he said, a certain amount of disbelief in his voice. Shaw complied, pulling off his hood, and the man cursed. “You son of a bitch.” The man called a quick word that Anduin doesn’t quite catch, and the three dogs immediately pulled away, their hostility gone. “Presumed dead for fifteen years and then you pop up in my forests with no warning.”</p><p>Shaw’s grin was smug. “You should know better than to presume I’m dead without evidence.”</p><p>The man snorted. “I feel as if I had plenty of evidence, thank you.” From here, Anduin could better make out his features; auburn hair that was pushed back, a month’s worth of a beard across his lower face, and keen blue eyes. Those eyes were on Shaw first, then on Anduin, and Anduin felt as if the ranger could look right into his soul. “Come on,” he said at length, looking back to Shaw. “We can speak at my home; if you’re here, then it’s for a reason.”</p><p>Two of the dogs bounded ahead as the ranger led them through the forest, the third staying close on Anduin’s heels. At first, he thought it was on guard, getting ready to bite Anduin if he took one wrong step. It wasn’t until it nudged as the back of his legs that he realized it was a herding dog and was simply making sure Anduin kept up with the other two.</p><p>“You got lucky, Shaw,” the ranger said once a stead came in to view, resting up on a hill as the trees thinned out. The sky had begun to darken further, the clouds thick to the point where the sun struggled to show through them. “I was to leave for Silvermoon at dawn.”</p><p>SIlvermoon? Anduin frowned down at the ground; Silvermoon had closed their gates to any outsiders after some diplomatic problems between them and the rest of the Alliance some time ago, preventing any sort of travel from anyone who wasn’t a high elf.</p><p>“We were waylaid,” Shaw said, simple and to the point.</p><p>“Still an incredible amount of luck that you caught me at all.”</p><p>“I was hoping that the border restrictions kept you in Lordaeron, to be honest.”</p><p>“No, I am still at my lady’s beck and call.” The two dogs that kept a steady pace ahead were now circling in front of the door to the stead, their tails wagging with excitement. The man pushed the front door open and proclaimed as he entered, “I’d make a comment about how my modest home isn’t fit for royalty, but I’d bet you’ve grown accustomed to less comfortable places.”</p><p>Anduin stopped on the threshold and blinked, having suddenly lost the ability to speak.</p><p>“I assume that it’s the heir to Stormwind’s throne you’re traveling with,” the man said at length.</p><p>“It is,” Shaw confirmed.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Anduin said to Shaw. “I thought that we were still following the little rule where we don’t tell anyone who I am.”</p><p>Shaw glanced back to Anduin. “Did you tell him?” There was a slight tug of a smile across Shaw’s face as he continued. “We wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t trust him to keep it a secret.”</p><p>Anduin crossed his arms. “A heads up would have been nice, Shaw.”</p><p>“We were ambushed before I could,” Shaw said with an indifferent shrug.</p><p>Anduin rolled his eyes before looking to the man. “In that case, yes, I’m Anduin Wrynn. You’re the Ranger Lord, are you not?”</p><p>The man had his own look of surprise. “I am.” He gave a bow and continued, “Nathanos Marris.”</p><p>One thing Shaw made a point of doing when they entered a town was staying in the local tavern, listening for any rumors or gossip. Once Anduin was old enough, he joined Shaw, often at the other end of the tavern to catch what might have been missed otherwise. News of Silvermoon’s politics often came with reference to the only human ranger lord to date, Nathanos Marris, and when relations soured between the human and elven kingdoms, so did local opinion of that lone ranger lord. It was easy to think so, Anduin always supposed, it seemed like a human siding with those that hated them. Shaw always said that no issue had an easy answer, so Anduin was always reluctant to dismiss the surface-level observation.</p><p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Anduin said.</p><p>Nathanos snorted. “I think that was the first—and last—time royalty will ever say that to me.” There was the sound of thunder not too far off, and he made a gesture towards the two. “Come in, what brings the deceased to my doorstep?”</p><p>Anduin wasn’t so much as shooed away from the conversation by Shaw, but he silently made it clear that he didn’t want Anduin apart of it, so Anduin made himself busy elsewhere. Elsewhere just happened to be upstairs, sitting in the shadows by the railing so he could listen in. The herding dog joined him, opting to lie next to him, perhaps to make sure he stayed out of trouble.</p><p>“He’s quick, Shaw,” Nathanos remarked once Anduin disappeared upstairs.</p><p>“That’s all him; I can hardly take credit for it.”</p><p>“Surely traveling with you helped.”</p><p>“Maybe, maybe not.”</p><p>There was the sound of someone walking around, and slowly, candlelight emanated from the downstairs, basking the lower floor in a soft, warm glow. “So, is he every ounce the warrior his father was?”</p><p>“Hardly. He wanted to be a priest.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sure you <em>loved</em> that.”</p><p>There was a pause from Shaw. “It gives him purpose. Besides, I don’t believe either of us would be here if he wasn’t.”</p><p>Anduin leaned a little closer to the railing. He hadn’t ever heard Shaw speak his mind on Anduin becoming a priest; the pragmatic words soothed something in Anduin he didn’t realize needed soothing.</p><p>“Get into trouble, then?”</p><p>“Lordaeron isn’t as safe as it touts to be.”</p><p>“I don’t think any place is safe anymore,” Nathanos confessed with a sigh. “Things aren’t looking good, Shaw. I don’t think the Alliance will hold.”</p><p>Anduin ran his fingers through the dog’s short fur as he listened. “Really?” Shaw asked.</p><p>“This last war was hard on the high elves, and many feel betrayed by the human kingdoms for it. King Kael’thas doesn’t wish to stay much longer with the Alliance over it.”</p><p>“And where does that leave you?”</p><p>Another sigh. “In the middle of it all.”</p><p>There was a thoughtful silence before Shaw spoke again, so low that Anduin had to strain to hear it over the sound of rain. “If you don’t choose, they will choose for you.”</p><p>“I know, but that time hasn’t come yet.”</p><p>“If you’re speaking of the Alliance fracturing, it will soon.”</p><p>“It’s easy for you to say, isn’t it?”</p><p>Shaw didn’t have a rejoinder to that. Outside, the storm was fully upon them, rain smashing into the shingled roof. Every once in a while, lightning lit up the windows, offering a stark contrast from the candlelight inside. The air was heavy with tension and history that was older than Anduin, that he couldn’t possibly divine from just this conversation, and the silence stretched on far too long.</p><p>“So,” Nathanos said after long enough, clearly enjoying the silence as much as Anduin was. “What’s the actual reason you came here?”</p><p>“I need the advice of someone who’s been politically aware for the past fifteen years.”</p><p>“So, you came to my doorstep? I’m a tactician, Shaw, not a politician.”</p><p>“Perhaps, but there’s no way you’re not aware of the political sphere in your position.” A sudden bolt of lightning lit up the outdoors, quickly followed by a thunderous roar. The dog lying next to Anduin buried his head in Anduin’s lap. “He’s of age now,” Shaw continued. “I was waiting for things to calm down enough to ask for an audience in Capital City, but…”</p><p>“Things didn’t calm down.”</p><p>“No,” Shaw said in a heavy sigh. “I don’t think it would be wise to wait much longer, but I’m not willing to put him at risk by bringing him to the capital If it’s going to cause a political upheaval.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s possible anymore,” Nathanos said. “If—best case scenario—things go well and… I don’t know, King Arthas pledges soldiers to reclaiming Stormwind, every single high elf in Silvermoon will be furious, and they’re not the type to… forget grudges during a human lifespan.”</p><p>The wind made the house creak, its age showing as it weathered the storm the best it could. “Perhaps,” Nathanos said at length, tone cautious, “it would be best if Stormwind stayed with the forsaken.”</p><p>Shaw let out a scoff loud enough for Anduin to hear over the storm, his chair scrapping against the wood floorboards. Anduin couldn’t blame him, his own anger rising within him at the implication. “Come on, Shaw.”</p><p>“This is my home you’re speaking of. <em>His</em> home. I have seen Stormwind destroyed by orcs and rebuilt once again. This will be no different.”</p><p>“Does he even want the throne?”</p><p>The question hung in the air long enough for Anduin to work it over. Did he? His gut instinct was yes, that was what he was supposed to do, but that… wasn’t the answer, was it? He didn’t know the first thing about ruling; he knew more of surviving on the road than leading a kingdom. Could he possibly do something like that?</p><p>Nathanos continued, “I… understand where you’re coming from, and I know you don’t want to hear this answer, but perhaps the correct solution is the simplest one, and the simplest one would just be for the prince of Stormwind to be forever lost to the history books.”</p><p>The booming thunder had started making its way westward, quieting with every pass of lighting, becoming slower and slower in response. Even the rain had begun to lessen. Shaw muttered something that Anduin couldn’t catch from this distance, and Nathanos replied, equally quiet in tone.</p><p>For Anduin to be relegated to the footnotes of the history books… to die, alone and unknown. Would that really be for the best? For all their wandering to be for nothing? The dog seemed to notice Anduin’s sudden despair, sitting up and shoving its nose in his face in an effort to find the problem. Anduin quietly exhaled as he tried to gently push the dog away, its tail thumping with excitement.</p><p>Could he just… give up on everything?</p>
<hr/><p>Anduin stood by the door, the storm having since passed and the birds singing once more. “Are you sure you want to head out now?” Nathanos asked Shaw. “I’d hate for you to be stuck out in the forest when it’s dark.”</p><p>“We should be going,” Shaw said. “Besides, I’m sure you have things to prepare for your own trip.”</p><p>Nathanos gave a slight nod.</p><p>“It was a pleasure to meet you,” Anduin said, remembering his manners.</p><p>Another nod, though it seemed distracted. Shaw was already out the door, and Anduin followed him out. The ground was wet, the rain slicked grass wetting his boots, the smell of dew and greenery hanging heavy in the air. The world seemed hazy like this, as if water was still hanging in the air in a faint fog, catching the peeking sunlight in its grasp.</p><p>“Shaw,” Nathanos called after them, and both Shaw and Anduin turned back to him. “Archmage Khadgar,” he continued. “He’s dedicated himself to neutrality. I think he’d have a better idea as to what to do than I do.”</p><p>Shaw inclined his head, considering his words. “Stick to the shadows, Ranger Lord.”</p><p>“You as well, Spymaster.”</p><p>Once the stead had disappeared behind them, and they were back into the thick of the forest, Shaw broke the silence. “So, what do you think?”</p><p>“About what?” Anduin asked.</p><p>“About what Marris said.”</p><p>Anduin frowned. “What makes you think I was eavesdropping?”</p><p>Shaw scoffed at Anduin’s words. “If you didn’t, I’d be disappointed; I raised you better.” One of the larger lessons Shaw imparted on Anduin was to always be listening. <em>People speak boldly if they think no one is listening, and they speak their true thoughts. You will never be at disadvantage if you listen more than you speak. </em>“Did you listen in?”</p><p>“I… may have.”</p><p>“He brought up some fair points, and… I suppose I’ve never asked.” Shaw’s verdant eyes flicked to Anduin. “Do you wish to rule?”</p><p>Anduin looked to the ground. His boots sank slightly into the sodden earth, moss and mud alike squelching underneath his steps. “It’s my duty, is it not?”</p><p>“It is,” Shaw said in his steady, composed way. “But you’re in a unique situation. You can choose to take the throne once more, to claim what’s yours by birthright, or you can, as Marris put it, be forever lost.” Anduin still didn’t have an answer from when he first heard it. He let out a heavy sigh, one full of his conflictions. “You don’t have to decide now,” Shaw continued. “And no matter what you choose, I’ll be beside you.”</p><p>“You want to see Stormwind reclaimed,” Anduin observed.</p><p>Shaw let out a sigh, heavy with melancholy. “Of course I do, it was my home.” Shaw looked off far into the distance for a long moment, clearly lost in. He blinked and cleared his throat to gather himself after long enough. “That being said, my duty is to you, and it always will be.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Anduin said. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me.”</p><p>Shaw nodded, and they lapsed in a comfortable silence. There were birds perched high above, chirping in song, seemingly cheerful now that the storm has passed. The smell of greenery clung to the air.</p><p>With a curious incline of his head, Anduin asked, “how do you know the ranger lord, anyway?”</p><p>“I knew a lot of people before… before,” Shaw said with a shrug. “It was my job to know people.”</p><p>“And you trust him?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t have brought us out here if I didn’t.”</p><p>“He’s a man of divided loyalties,” Anduin said. “And if I remember correctly, you’re not keen on people like that.”</p><p>“For the most part, you’re right,” Shaw conceded. “But he is a man that is so divided, he’d rather the choice of choosing one or the other taken from him.” His eyes were firm on the path ahead. “You can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. I trust a man that is defined by his loyalty to continue to be loyal.”</p><p>“His loyalties are to Lordaeron and Quel’thalas, not me or you,” Anduin challenged.</p><p>Shaw frowned at that, annoyance darkening his eyes as he finally glanced towards Anduin once more. “I’ve known Marris for longer than you’ve been alive. While he may not be loyal to Stormwind, I trust him to keep such information under wraps.”</p><p>“And I’m failing to see what this trust is based on,” Anduin said.</p><p>“Like I said, you can trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. A person will, at their core, always follow their nature. Learning a person’s nature, and the limits of that, is key to surrounding yourself with people you can rely on. Marris won’t reveal your existence because he has a strong sense of loyalty and entrusting him with such a large secret just gives him more reason to stay loyal.”</p><p>“And if we cross Lordaeron and Quel’thalas?”</p><p>Shaw’s face turned grim; an unfortunate expression set in a sense of realism. “If it comes to that, we’ll have greater problems on our hands.”</p>
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